Least Used Terminating Station

[Kite159]

St James Park is definitely low, but certainly not the lowest.

What about Sandwich? It's a bit of a loophole though, as no train that 'terminates' there actually terminates.

Looking at RTT for the summer, seems there is a service which actually terminate at Sandwich (1807 St Pancras International to Sandwich), then runs ECS to Ashford with a couple early morning starters to go round the coast

I seem to recall in an older timetable there was a peak time service which terminated at Dumpton Park (before running ECS into Ramsgate depot)

 

[hermit]

For the sake of a valid reponse I'll just say shanklin, can't imagine many people rely on a train on Isle of Wight to the furthest stop, when the line only covers 8 miles of the island LOL

Shanklin is in fact the busiest station on the island. Because it’s the furthest station from the other end of the line at Ryde, the time saving by using the train rather than bus is greater than for any of the other stations. The station is also well-situated for the town centre, and serves as a railhead for Ventnor and beyond.

 

[Parallel]

Why can Bedwyn services not run to Pewsey or Westbury? Or even Trowbridge which has a a ridership of 970k pre Covid ?

Yes, Bedwyn is a bit of a strange one. I guess it's a mixture of reasons, namely sidings available for turnbacks, convenience of diagramming, express trains don't have to add an extra stop, acts as a railhead for Marlborough and the East Wilts area, higher frequency of stations eastbound towards Reading than westbound. I think it's also just been left over from the divison within the franchise between the Thames Valley, West and Intercity. Between Bedwyn and Pewsey is effectively 'no man's land', there are not many trains that stop at both at all!

Trains in theory could run to Westbury, Trowbridge or even Frome or Warminster... Westbury already has a fair amount of through and terminating trains with just three platform faces available for use. Trains couldn't turnaround at Trowbridge station itself and would have to go north to Bradford Junction and then reverse. Frome station is single track and might cause pathing constraints at certain times and I can't really think of any reasons why they couldn't terminate at Warminster.

If a couple of stations were re-opened between Pewsey and Westbury, that'd probably strengthen the business case for these stopping trains to be extended westwards.

 

[paul1609]

Not part of the National Network.

Ive never made the Chiltern specials, but unless its changed since I last went to the Buckinghamshire Railway Centre it doesn't have a "Mainline" connection so the service from Aylesbury is wholly on the normally freight only line so part of the national network.

 

[30907]

Between Bedwyn and Pewsey is effectively 'no man's land'.

And it would be a considerable distance to extend an already-nearly-empty train with no prospect of intermediate stations reopening. Even Pewsey was only 3.7k population at the last census (though I guess it is growing) - of course if Devizes Road reopens things might change....
But that is OT.

 

[richard1976]

Gainsborough Central

 

[HamworthyGoods]

Although I can see in the future when Devizes parkway opens the Bedwyn terminators extending to Westbury (assuming the 4th platform returns to use).

I have never been able to work out the benefits of restoring the 4th platform at Westbury as it’s the Down Freight Road currently so all that would happen is the 4th platform would be clogged up with freight trains (look at the currently occupancy of the Down Freight Road at Westbury and you will see what I mean. I don’t think there’s space to have 2 platforms and a freight loop on the downside like there is on the upside.

 

[DarloRich]

Not part of the National Network. I really do wonder about Chathill - is this the best use of a train set and paths.

Yes, I know there are diehards out there will scream it is "neccesary" , and we must cling onto every piece of service provision .I dare say it is an enjoyable piece of work to run out there crew wise on a fine evening but in the depths of a January evening.

Better uses for resources I reckon. I never clamoured personally for a return of the Croxley Green branch for example. I had better uses for 313's and train crew.

Chathill is a lovely station - I also think it has a bus connection with Seahouses and Bamburgh and other coastal communities. ( but then i bet the same bus serves Alnmouth or somewhere! )

 

[Statto]

2 trains Monday to Friday[one train on Saturday & Sunday] terminate at Hamilton Square.

 

[Mcr Warrior]

2 trains Monday to Friday[one train on Saturday & Sunday] terminate at Hamilton Square.

Not really a "least used terminating station" in terms of numbers of passengers per annum, I would have thought?!

 

[D7666]

Newhaven Harbour is still open. Newhaven Marine is the one that closed.

oops!

I think we knew what we were talking about though!

 

[D6975]

I have never been able to work out the benefits of restoring the 4th platform at Westbury as it’s the Down Freight Road currently so all that would happen is the 4th platform would be clogged up with freight trains (look at the currently occupancy of the Down Freight Road at Westbury and you will see what I mean. I don’t think there’s space to have 2 platforms and a freight loop on the downside like there is on the upside.

There definitely is enough room for two tracks on the down side, because there used to be two tracks there. I can remember when it still had a downside freight avoid.

 

[Mikey C]

Obviously not as low as some of the stations mentioned on here, but Epson Downs might be the least used station with electric services?

And its passenger numbers on non race days will be tiny...

 

[30907]

Obviously not as low as some of the stations mentioned on here, but Epson Downs might be the least used station with electric services?

And its passenger numbers on non race days will be tiny...

Depends whether Newhaven Hbr still has a terminating train, as in the last NRT, I suppose?